Tata Motors to fulfil order of 255 electric buses by July

Tata Motors said that it will fulfil the order to supply 255 electric buses to various state transport undertakings (STUs) by July this year, while admitting delays due to supply constraints of batteries. The company said it has already delivered the first batch of electric buses to various STUs as per the FAME I tender wins.

The company has delivered a total of 22 buses and an additional 72 buses are in transit to Lucknow, Kolkata, Indore, Guwahati, and Jammu, it said in a regulatory filing, while denying reports that the firm has been blacklisted by the government for delays in deliveries.       

“We have been in regular touch with all STUs and have undergone various stages of inspection,” Tata Motors said.

Admitting the delay in delivery, the company said, “there has been some delays due to unforeseen issues in the supply of batteries that are imported from other markets and we are addressing them on priority.”            

The company further said it has been in constant discussion with all the customers and has kept the authorities apprised of all the challenges.

“Timeline of deliveries have been communicated at various levels and deliveries have been planned accordingly. So, there is no question of being blacklisted by the government,” it added.

“Out of the total order, 50 per cent has been delivered by March 2019, another 25 per cent will be delivered in April 2019 and the rest of the order will be completed by July 2019,” it said.

The company is committed towards timely delivery and will continue to make all the efforts to ensure being a reliable supplier of electric buses in the country, it added.